Marama Labs Highlights New Advanced UV-vis Spectrophotometer
On April 9th, Marama Labs, a scientific instrument start-up company with offices in Wellington, New Zealand, and Dublin, Ireland, announced in a press release that they have launched a new version of its new CloudSpec instrument. According to the company, this UV-vis spectrophotometer is designed to improve development times for nanoparticle drug formulations used in vaccines, cancer treatments, and gene therapies, addressing a need in the industry (1).
CloudSpec is an advanced UV-Vis spectrophotometer that measures the absorption spectrum without the scatter by using an optical geometry—such as an integrating sphere with diffuse transmission detection—that collects both direct and scattered light, effectively neutralizing the impact of scatter on the absorbance signal (1). This measurement approach provides accurate quantification of absorbance even in scattering media (1). The result is a direct measurement in complex scattering or turbid samples without the need for dilution, clarification, or empirical corrections. This measurement is valuable for biopharma, food, and materials applications where true absorption spectra in complex media are critical (1).
Conceptual visualization of nanoparticle drug delivery. Generated by AI. | Image Credit: © Korngor - stock.adobe.com
Currently, lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) are being used as a critical delivery vehicle for mRNA vaccines (1). However, a major bottleneck in the development process has been the slow and complex analysis of drug payloads within nanoparticles. As a result, several companies, such as Marama Labs, are looking at developing solutions to solve this issue.
Recently, CloudSpec directly addressed this challenge head-on. The CloudSpec instrument is designed to solve this major issue through its scatter-free absorption (SFA) technology, which is designed to enable rapid and accurate quantification of RNA or DNA payloads in intact LNPs. Traditional techniques typically require breaking apart nanoparticles or using complex fluorescence-based assays that can take up to two hours per sample. CloudSpec was designed as a response to this lengthy period, and the instrument was created to help deliver results in just 15 seconds using a user-friendly UV analysis approach (1). Using this UV analysis approach is meant to allow the user to not need dyes or particle disruption (1). According to the company, CloudSpec is designed to reduce analysis time while improving accuracy and usability (1).
“Our mission with CloudSpec is to revolutionize how researchers quantify and analyze lipid nanoparticles,” said Brendan Darby, CEO of Marama Labs, in a press release. “This technology represents a major step forward in nanomedicine research, promising faster development timelines and more efficient workflows.”
UV-spectrophotometers are often used in chemistry and biochemistry applications (2). These devices are used to quantify and identify compounds by analyzing their spectra in the UV-vis region (2). By applying the Beer-Lambert Law, a UV-vis spectrophotometer can determine the concentration of specific analytes in each sample (2). Along with this distinct advantage, UV-vis spectrophotometers are easy to use, nondestructive, and have the ability to conduct quick analysis (2).
To showcase the capabilities of CloudSpec, Marama Labs will host a launch webinar on May 7, 2025. The event will feature insights from two early users of CloudSpec. These users are Dr. Emily Young of 4basebio (United Kingdom) and Dr. Johanna Simon of Merck KGaA (Germany)—will discuss how CloudSpec has impacted their LNP workflows (1).
Marama Labs is a technology start-up company that was founded back in 2019. It formed from the research that was conducted at the Raman Laboratory in Victoria University in Wellington, New Zealand (3). More information about the company and its CloudSpec instrument can be found in the literature (1,3).
References
- Marama Labs, CloudSpec Technology. Marama Labs. Available at: https://www.maramalabs.com/technology (accessed 2025-04-08).
- DeNovix, What is a UV-Vis Spectrophotometer? DeNovix. Available at: https://www.denovix.com/what-is-a-uv-vis-spectrophotometer/ (accessed 2025-04-09).
- Marama Labs, About the Company. Marama Labs. Available at: https://www.maramalabs.com/about (accessed 2025-04-08).
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